Yolo County has now recorded its first death attributable to COVID-19.

A statement from the county’s Health Department said the person who died was previously identified as the sixth person locally to have come down with the disease. The individual had underlying chronic health problems and acquired the infection through community spread.

To protect patient privacy, personal health information that is covered under health care guidelines, such as geographic location and gender, is not being reported

“I am sad to report the first COVID-19 death in Yolo County,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, the county’s chief health officer. “We all want to express our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

“To slow the spread of this virus, we all need to stay inside as much as possible and severely limit person-to-person interactions,” Dr. Chapman added in a prepared statement. “We must do everything we can to protect our communities and prevent our health care system from becoming overwhelmed with sick people.”

As of Monday afternoon, Yolo County has reported six confirmed cases of COVID-19, with this case being the first fatality.

In response to the increasing transmission of COVID-19 in the community, Yolo County issued a countywide health order on March 18 for residents to shelter in place through April 7. With this order, the county intends to slow the spread of the disease, protect those most vulnerable, and preserve local healthcare capacity.

“Our first COVID-19 death in Yolo County marks a grim turn in the local course of this disease,” said Yolo County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gary Sandy. “Our thoughts are with the individual’s family and friends.

“It is a sad reminder that everyone must shelter in place,” Sandy continued. “It is imperative that we stop the ongoing spread of this virus. It is the personal responsibility of every Yolo County resident to observe the health protocols. It is now a matter of life and death.”

Earlier in the week, it was reported that a “young adult with a chronic health problem” and an older adult had acquired the disease through community transmission and travel, respectively.

Both are staying home until they meet recently-released CDC criteria for discontinuation of isolation, according to county officials.

Yolo County announced its first confirmed case on March 6 and its second only a week ago Friday.

The initial case was an older female with underlying health conditions who is believed to have acquired the virus through community transmission and the second was a 60-year-old who became infected through travel.